Rainforest of Sorong

From Sorong town we will head into the rainforest of Sorong Regency towards Klasow valley. We need to use a 4WD jeep which takes us in about 1.5 hours to the valley. The road can be in bad condition. The jeep will drop us on the side of the road and will go back to Sorong. From here you will continue by foot through the rainforest to Malagufuk. You will walk over a boardwalk that will lead you all the way to Malagufuk village. This is a 3km walk. Some part of the boardwalk may be broken and can be very, very slippery. There will be porters that will carry yours bag to the village. This birding location is focused on birds living in the low-land forests.

We advice you to wear  and/or bring high waterproof boots because of muddy paths. Our base camp is a small jungle village from local people. Local people stay here only to work on their gardens and sell them back in Sorong city. We will stay in one of the accommodation available in Malagufuk, either in a local house or at a camping ground.  In the afternoon we have time to explore the rainforest. If lucky, we will see the cassowary, the second heaviest living bird that looks a bit like the ostrich or emu. The cassowary is a native to the tropical forests of New Guinea.

We need to wake up early in the morning (around 4 AM), before sunrise. You can have tea or some coffee before we start our trek to the display tree of the Lesser Birds of Paradise. This is about 1 hours walk and requires a climb uphill. The birds play high in the trees, so make sure to bring your own binocular. Along the way we have the chance to see butterflies and other bird species. The local guide will also show you several species of tropical plants that the indigenous people use as a herb for traditional medicines and which wood kinds that are used to make hunting gear or to construct local houses. Today we also have a chance to see the Kind Bird of Paradise, just close to our base-camp.

We will go deeper into the jungle where we have the chance to see the 12-Wired Bird of Paradise. On our way we can find several insect species, other birds, reptiles as well as marsupials that live in this valley. After lunch we will head back to the main road. We will look out for wild flowers in the jungle, they might have butterflies on them that search for nectar. The jeep will take us back to Sorong. You will stay in Swiss Bel Hotel, which is the best hotel in Sorong. A nice reward after spending the days under primitive conditions.